Q: What is a standard?

A: In the broad sense, a standard is anything that tells you how to do, test or identify something. Your mother's recipe for spaghetti sauce is a standard, for example. However, most discussions of standards in government or business refer to a particular type of standard: a document developed by a committee of interested experts and published by a recognized standards body that provides independent and widely-accepted guidance.

For more information, visit our Standards page.